Stocking knitting machine and method



April 19, 1932.

1 s. GRIEVE STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 25, 1951 IHI Wm 52 51 v111 Fig.1.

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STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 25, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig, 5. 45

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T. S. GRIEVE STOCKING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 25, 1951 6 sheets hei 4 a2 29 31 ET 37 6 2 43 a9 2 INVENTOR April 19, 1932. I T. s. GRIEVE 1,855,019

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ATTORNEYS April 19, 1932. T.. s. GRIEVE 1,855,019

S'IYOCKING KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed March 25, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig. )0.

Patented Apr. 19, 1932 UNITED STATES THOMAS SCOTT GRIEVE, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND' srocxmo KNITTING MACEIINE AND METHOD Application filed March 25, 1931, Serial No. 525,259, and in Great Britain April 1930.

This invention relates to stockings and concerns a method of and machine for producing, in a continuous operation, a stocking with a plain leg and a ribbed top in which there are 3 a greater number of loops in the courses than there are in the courses of the leg portion, the desideratum in stockings of this kind being to provide a wide ribbed top which will be elastic and also afi'ord additional comfort in wear, and a good anchorage for the susponders.

The leg and extra wide ribbed top are integral with each other, and knitted automatieally on the same machine. 7

The invention comprises a method of knitting a seamless stocking having a plain knitted foot and leg and a wide ribbed top, and a circular knitting machine having two sets of needles for carrying said method into praczo tice, features of which will be hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

The machine is capable of operating at times with the necessary rotary reciprocating motion for the purpose of producing seamless heel and toe pouches, and I may so arrange the carrier of the jack needles that it may be moved or displaced relatively to the other carrier so as to carry the jack needles away from the other needles to provide the so necessary room for the formation of the heel and toe pouches and also for a splicing yarn to float across the needle circle.

It will be understood that when the jack needles are equal in number to the other needles, a 1/1 rib fabric will be produced when the two sets of' needles co-operate. The invention is not, however, limited to the provision of any particular number or any particular proportion of needles. I may, for ex- 40 ample, provide a complement of jack needles containing a less number of needles than those in the plain set.

It is the intention to make the machine so that it will operate in a fully automatic mannor for producing the stocking commencing at thetoe and terminating at the welt, such stocking consisting of a seamless plain leg and foot with a 1/1 or other ribbed top, and terminating welt, the necessary changes in 59 the machine being brought about automatically and without the necessity of transference of loops.

After the formation of the welt the top of the stocking may be finished oil with a shogged or looking course in the usual mannor, after which the loops are cast off the jack needles only between the welt and the toe of the next stocking, the jack needles being then put out of action so that knitting proceeds on the next stocking on the other needles,- the 0 ack needlesbeing re-introduced into action when the next ribbed top on the next stocking is to be formed. a

I prefer to make the knitting machine with revolving needle carriers and stationary earn systems, an advantage of this type of machine being that increased speed and more balanced movement can be obtained.

In order that the invention may be more clearly and readily understood, a practical example of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention and a stockingjsuch as may be produced thereon willbe hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of such machine.

Figure 2 is a left hand side elevation of same. 1

Figure 8' is a sectional front elevation of the top head shown in its normal position.

Figure 4 is apart sectional front elevation of said top head in a lower position wherein the jack needles are in operative relation with the cylinder needles.

Figure 5 is a sectionaldetail hereinafter referred to. V i

V Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing a pressing off cam in operation.

Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation of part of the top head showing a clearing cam in operation.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan view of the machine taken on line VIII-VIII of Figure 1 i. o. with the top head removed.

Figure 9 is a sectional plan view of the top head inverted, the section being taken on line IX--IX of Figure 3.

Figure 10 is a sectional plan view, and

tricked ring 4' for guiding the shanks 3 ,of the jack needles during radial movement thereof and isdriven synchronously with a needle cylinder 5 by means of an attached gear wheel 6 and a pinion 7 on a shaftdriven in a manner common to circular rib knitting machines of the superposed needle cylinder yp The carrier 1 is mounted to rotate on a concentric sleeve 8 furnished with a' flange 9 by means of which it is fixed in the top plate 10 of the machine, and said carrier is supported, through the medium of the gear 6, and a ball bearing 11 in a Cylindrical support 12 vertically movable-in an opening 13 in the top plate 10.

The top head also includes a cam system for operating the jack needles, said'system being carried partly by a sleeve 14 furnished with lateral lugs 15 which rest on the upper end of the support 12, and partly by means of the support 12, as will be hereinafter set forth. The sleeve 14 serves as a bearing for acam operating plunger 16. There is thus provided a top head which is both movable up and down in'the machine and removable bodily from the machine for access to the component parts.

As shown in Figure 3 the top head normally occupies a raised position so as to provide room between the head and the needle cylinder 5 for the formation of heels and toes and is moved down to enable the ack needles to co-operate with the cylinder needles, when required,,by pressure applied to theupper end of the sleeve 14, the lower positionbeing shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7.

This pressure is applied by a lever 17 (see particularly Figures 1 and 2) pivotally mounted in a bracket 18 carried by the flange 9, said lever being operated by a push rod 19, levers 20, 21, another push rod 22, and a pivoted lever 23 from cams on the existing pattern drum'24 of the machine (see Fig ures 1 and 2).

.The downward movement is effected against the action of springs 25 located between the flange 9 and hollow members or caps 26 fixed in the lugs 15, said springs acting to retain the jack needle carrier 1 in its 7 normal raised or inoperative position.

As; shown more particularly in Figure 9 the cam system in the top head includes a stitch cam 27 on a ring 28 suspended from the support 12, and a clearing cam 29 pivotally mounted at 30 on a smaller ring 31 attached to the sleeve 14. The rings 28 and 31 are so arranged that a track 32 is formed between them in which the stems of the swing jacks 3 travel. A cam 33 isalso pivotally mounted at 34 upon the ring 31 and co-operates with a cam 35 on the ring 28 to effect pressing oil on the jack needles upon completion of the ribbed top of the stocking.

At the required'time the clearing cam 29 is moved to the operative position, indicated in dot and dash lines, to cause the jack needles to clear and take yarn by means of a pin 36 on a radially movable slide 37 located in a slot 38in the ring 31, and operated by a cam formation 39 on the aforesaid plunger 16, as shown in Figure 7 V The cam 33 is also rendered operative, when required, by means of a pin 40 on a radially movable slide 41 located in a slot 42 in the ring 31, this slide being operated by another cam formation43 on the plunger 16, as shown in Figure 6.

The plunger 16 is operated i. e. depressed to move the cams 29 or 33 outwards by a le- 'ver 44 pivotally mounted at 45 in a post 46 fixed in one of the lugs 15, said lever being actuated by a push rod 47 in turn operated by suitable cams on the pattern drum,24 through the medium of another push rod 48 and levers 49 and 50. The outward movement of the cams is effected against the action of a spring ring 3a which serves to hold the jack needles in a normally retracted position as shown in Figure 3.

The machine may be provided with a halfround splicing attachment which, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 8, comprises a yarn finger 51 pivoted at 52 on a bracket 53 and having a tail 54 adapted to be engaged by a pivoted lever 55 connected by a pull rod 56 to a bellcrank lever 57 which is actuated in timed relation with the revolutions of the needle cylinder by a cam 58 on a drum or disc 59 carried by the main driving shaft 60 of the machine. Q

As indicated in Figure 8 the cam 58causes the finger 51 to move from the position indicated in full linesthe feeding position-to that indicated in dotted lines, in which position the splicing yarn a is floated across, the needle circle, as indicated in dotted lines, in the space provided between the cylinder 5 and the top head when the latter is raised as aforesaid. lVhen, however, it is required to cease splicing, the finger 51 is moved out of action, i.' .e. to the position indicated invdot and dash lines whereby the splicing yarn is carried, as shown, into ayarn' trapping and severing device generally indicated at 61, and actuated at the required times by a cam on the drum 24 through the medium of a push' rod 62, lever 63 and link 64. The splicing finger is rendered inoperative as aforesaid by a cam 65 on the drum 24 acting through a push rod 66 upon an extension 67 of the lever 55.. The two arms; of the lever 57 may be jointed together at 57a so as to enable the upper arm to be'moved: laterally out of the path of the cam: 58, e. g. by pattern controlled means of any ordinary form (not shown) when the splicing finger isrendered inoperative so as to eliminate wear and tear and also noise atv this. locality.v

If desired, the splicing finger may be operated so asto feedyarn to difierent numbers of needles-in difierent courses respectively to produce sectional. spliced areas with nonparallel e. g. tapering sides such, for example, as tapered high. spliced areas, and for this purpose an attachment as shown in Figures 10 and 11 may be employed. According to this. arrangement a lever 68 is connect ed to or with the splicing finger actuating lever 55, said lever 68 being furnished with a nose 69- for engagement normally with halfround splicing cams 58a which are adjustably mounted. on an. arcuate carrier member 7 O hired on: a shaft 7 1 driven through a clutch 72 by a train of gears 73, 74 and .75 from another shaft 7 6 driven throughgears 77 and 7 8 from the main driving shaft 60. The shaft 7 6 is carried in a bracket 79 attached to a circular casing 80 in turn carried by a support 81 attached to the machine frame 82.

Keyed on to the shaft 71 is a member 83 upon which a. pair of ratchet wheels 84, 85 are mounted in such a manner as to rotate with said member but also to be capable of independent rotation respectively in opposite directions against the action of some suitable form of friction means (not shown). The ratchet wheels are retained'in position on the member 83 by a pair of discs 86 applied to said member and secured by screws 86a.

The member 83 is also provided with a radial slot 87 in which a slide 88 is adapted to be moved against the. action of a spring 89 by a pattern-controlled cam piece 90 pivota-l-ly mounted upon thecasing 80.. The slide 88 carries two pairs of pawls 91, 92, 98 and 94, arranged so. that the pawls 91, 92 engage the ratchet wheel 84, while the pawls 93, 94 engage the ratchet wheel 85.

It will be understood that during the rotary movement of the member 83 the slide 88 is moved inwards radially when desired by the cam 90 which action causes the pairs of pawls to engage and rotate the associated ratchet wheels.

The ratchet wheels 84 and 85 carry respectively sectional cams 95, 96 which, as the ratchet wheels are rotated in opposite directions by the associated pawls, vary the extent of the gap between the ends 58?) and 580 of the two cams 58a and thus causes corresponding variations in the duration of the action of the splicing yarn finger in different courses.

Two pairs of pawls are provided so that ratchet wheels having teeth of a comparative- 1y coarse pitch may be employed to impart V to. the cams and 9.6 a movement equivalent to the pitch of the needles. every time the slide 88 is operated so that the graduation of the spliced area may be to the extent of one needle .wale on each side of said area in each of desired courses. Each pair of pawls is arranged so that one pawl is in advance of the other by half the pitch of the teeth and the stroke is such that the pawls act alternately so that each wheel is racked round to the extent of half a tooth for each movement of the slide 88. If desired, the cam piece'90 may be brought into action at every other revolution of the member 88 so that the width of the spliced area varies by a needle Wale on each side in every other course, thus forming a comparatively long gradually tapered spliced area. Similarly the cam piece may be so controlled that stepped or other spliced Figure 12, the ribbed top is appreciably wider than the leg portion.

The operation of the machine in producing this article is as follows Knitting is commenced at the toe d of the article and proceeds in the usual manner to form the foot a, heel e and leg portion b. If

desired the toe cl, foot bottom 7 and heel 0 may be spliced, and a high splice g, which may be of ordinary form or tapered, may be formed. During the knitting of the foot and leg portion the top head is maintained in the raised position so as to provide the necessary room for the formation of the heel and toe pouches and to allow the splicing yarn, when introduced, to float across the cylinder where not knitted, as already mentioned herein, and it will be understood that during the formation of the toe and heel the motion of the 'machine changesfrom rotary to rotary reciprocatory motion. Upon completion of the ribbed top the top head is lowered automatically to the position shown in Figure 5, after which the plunger 16 is pushed down against the action of a spring 97 to bring the cam or projection 43 into engagement with the slide ll to move the cam 33 outwards so that the jackneedles are projected. When the machine is equipped with latch needles a brush 98 is situated. at this point for action upon the needles to open the latches. The brush is mounted on a pivoted bell-crank lever 98a and is spring urged towards the needles, but is normally held clear of the needles by a collar 99 on the push rod 47, hen said rod 4:? is raised to actuate the V is suitably operated by connections from the plunger rod 16 the brush is released so that it operates upon the jack needles as and for the purpose aforesaid.

The plunger 16 is then pushed down fur- 1 '6. ther to bring the cam face 39 into contact with the slide 37 whereby the cam 29 is pro jected as represented in Figure 7, to cause the jack needles to clear and take yarn, following which said needles are retracted by the stitch cam 27 and consequently form loops.

' Another brush 102- is provided adjacent to the knitting point to ensure that all of the jack needle latches are open when said needles move outwards to take the yarn. This brush head by means of a ball bearing 100a and a ring 100?) attached to the lower end of the sleeve 14. The purpose of this disc is to provide a draw edge'and knocking over edge for the jack needles and, when a 1/1 ribbed top is being made, to hold down the forming fabric, instead of the usual sinkers or web holders 101 which, as will be understood, are rendered useless owing to the presence of therib needles directly abovethem. As shown particularly in Figure 5 the disc 100 is formed with tricks on its underside to accommodate the nibs of those sinkers which are retracted. The forming fabric passes down between the disc and the nibs of the sinkers where the latter are projected.

After a rib bed top of, desired length has been knitted the plunger 16 may be returned to the position shown in Figure 6, which action causes the jack needles to move outwards to clear their loops whereafter they are retracted by the cam 35 and press off. Alternatively if it is desired to form a welt knitting may be suspended on the jack needles for a few courses and then resumed following which a locking course may be knitted and then the jack needles may be caused'to press ofi. i

As will be readily understood the machine hereinbefore described is fully automatic and thereby enables a stocking of the form described to be produced completely in one continuous operation without stopping the machine.

When a tapered high splice is to be formed the mechanism hereinbefore described for this purpose is of course put into operation on the completion of the heel and is oper ated so that the duration of action of the splicing finger is decreased as knitting projack needles, then, whenthe jack needles are 1 brought into action for the purpose of cooperating with the other needlesto make the ribbed top, the latter will be knitted upon four hundred needles, thereby obtaining the desired result in the stocking.

Vlhat I claim then is r 1. A method of knitting a seamless stock ing having a plain knitted foot and leg and a ribbed top, which consists in commencing at the toe, knitting the foot and leg of plain fabric and then knitting a ribbed top which has in the courses thereof a greater number of loops than the number of loops in the courses of the leg, the change from plain to rib knitting being effected without transference of loops.

2. A method of knittingon acircular knittmg machme having two sets of needles a seamless stocking having a plain knitted foot and leg and a ribbed top, which consists in knitting the foot and leg of the article upon the needles of one set, and then introducing into action the needles of the other set and 7 without transference of loops from the needles of one set to those of the other set knitting airibbed top, the needles of the second set augmenting the number of needles previously in action so that the ribbed top has in its courses a greater number of loops than those in the courses of the plain fabricl 3. A method of knitting on a circular knit ting machine havingtwo sets of needles a seamless stocking having a plain knitted foot and leg and a ribbed top, which consists in knitting the foot and leg of the article upon the needles of one set, and then introducing. into action the needles of the other set and without transference of loops from the needles of one set to those of the other set knitting a ribbed top, the needles of the second set augmenting the number of needles previously in action so that the ribbed top has in its courses a greater number of loops than those in the courses of the'plain fabric, said method being carried out in one continuous operation and m an'automatlc manner.

4. A circular knitting machine for the prober of needles in action to produce the ribbed top with more loops in the courses than there eluding a set of radially swinging ack needles which, following the knitting of the leg of the article, co-operate with and augment the number of needles inaction to produce the ribbed top with more loops in the courses than there are in the plain courses, and a cam system for actuating the jack needles, means to move the top head in relation to the needle cylinder, and means to render the cam system operative and inoperative.

6. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a set of needles therein, a top head including a set of radially swinging jack needles, a carrier for the jack needles, a member for guiding the ack needles during radial movement thereof, a vertically movable support for the aforesaid carrier, a cam system for actuating the jack needles incorporating a movable clearing cam and a movable press-ofl' cam, and a slidable plunger for moving said cams to an operative position and'means for controlling said plunger automatically, for the purpose described.

7 A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a set of needles therein, a movable top head including a set of radially swinging jack needles, a carrier for the jack needles, a member for guiding the jack'neeclles during radial movement thereof, a vertically movable support for the said carrier, a cam system for actuating the jack needles incorporating a movable clearing cam and a movable press-oil cam, and a slidable plunger for moving said cams to an operative position, means for controlling said plunger automatically, and means to move the top head automatically in relation to the needle cylin- 8. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a set of needles therein, a movable top head removable bodily and including a set of radially swinging jack needles, a carrier for the jack needles, a member for guiding the j ack needles during radial movement thereof, a vertically movable support for the said carrier, a cam system for actuating the jack needles incorporating a movable clearing cam and a movable pressoif cam, and a slidable plunger for moving said cams to an operative position, means for controlling said plunger automatically,

and means to move the top head automatically in relation to the needle cylinder.

9. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a set of needles therein, a top head including a set of radially swinging jack needles, a carrier for the jack needles, a member for guiding the jack needles during radial movement thereof, a vertically movable support for the aforesaid carrier and a cam system for actuating the jack needles for knitting purposes, means to move the top head automatically in relation to the needle cylinder, and a draw edgeand knocking over member for the jack needles, said member being adapted also to hold down the Web and being carried up and down with the top head, for the purposes described.

10. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, a set of needles therein, a top head including a set of radially swinging jack needles, a carrier for the jack needles, a member for guiding the jack needles during radial movement thereof, a ver tically movable support for the aforesaid carrier and a cam system for actuating the jack needles for knitting purposes, means to move the top head automatically in relation to the needle cylinder, mechanism for efiiecting tapered splicing, which includes sectional cams (such as and 96) mounted upon 5 ratchet wheels (such as 84 and 85) adapted 9 THOMAS SCOTT GRIEVE. 

